Starlight-Jemi Downton Abbey Short Story
by CurvyDemi
Summary: I have written a story combining my two favorite couples, and I hope it intrigues you. I know I do not own Mary Crawley and Matthew Crawley. Only Julian Fellowes owns them. He is the master behind such wonderful characters. I am a little concerned that combining all of these characters is not permitted, as they are so different from each other, but I will only hope for the best.
1. Chapter 1

**Here is my first fanfiction I have written a story combining my two favorite couples, and I hope such a combination intrigues you. I know I do not own the Mary Crawley and Matthew Crawley. Only Julian Fellowes owns them. He is the master behind such wonderful characters.**

Episode 1

I woke up early in the morning with a shake and shudder from the frosty air. It surprised me just how dark it was in my room, considering how early in the morning it was. The sun should have already risen enough for there to be a glow shooting through my large window, straight from the summer sky. I immediately assumed that it was going to be a miserable, grey day, and that very assumption exhausted me. As I looked over towards my sleeping husband, I felt my eyes grow heavy, but I also felt a smile spread across my face. He was the only sunshine in my deathly dark bedroom. I could see his bright, blonde hair lay over his closed eyes, and my hand swept over to his forehead as if it had a mind of its own. His hair was soothing to the touch, yet I felt my heart's pace quicken when he nuzzled his head further into the palm of my hand. He must have been slowly and steadily waking up, so I leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on his head. I felt his arm wrap around my waist as he turned over, which constricted me and kept me from standing, which was something I was very eager to do. I needed to move my feet, even if it was just for a minute. My hands were quivering as I looked out my window at the vast landscape that my family possessed, which to this day scared me a little. It was frightening how much of Yorkshire my family kept under lock and key.

As softly and silently as I could go without waking my darling Matthew, I slid out of the bedroom and walked down the long hallway towards the staircase, which would lead me to the library. Whenever I felt lonely, depressed or trapped in the upper-class world I sometimes despised, I would hide away in the library with my favorite novel. Most of the literature I read was of Greek mythology because Matthew and I had found one of our many, special connections through these stories of gods and monsters. I giggled to myself when I reminisced on one of the first times we had spoken, where I had compared him to a mythological sea monster. At the time, he did not take my mockery of him too well, but throughout the years. . . especially after we had finally married. . . we were able to laugh about the conversation.

I easily found the novel I was reading at the moment: _Much Ado About Nothing_, which kept me preoccupied and entranced for a good half hour before I heard a light sobbing sound coming from a few feet away. At first, I was not entirely sure who was crying, but then I knew. It hit me like a ton of bricks and shattered my heart. I quickly fled to my little sister, Demetria's side. When I knelt beside her and lifted her tear-stained face towards mine, I could tell that she had not slept a peaceful night's sleep. She must have tried sleeping in the library, as I had not heard her enter the room while I was reading. I looked over at the pillow she had been letting her tears soak into. It was her favorite one.

Demetria was eighteen years old, but she was quite innocent for her age. At times, she would appear more like a twelve-year-old trapped in a young woman's body, as she still wore bows in her hair and wore the purest, frilliest dresses out of all of us Downton women. Sometimes, Edith and Sybil were certain that Mama and Papa loved her the most, but I knew better. Mama and Papa loved us all equally, but they were overly protective of Demetria because of how virtuous she was. She had never let a man near her unless all he wished to do was talk to her, even though there were many young men who wished to marry her. As times were rapidly changing, women were not expected to marry at such a young age, but they were not expected to give up on the idea of marriage all together. Demetria just seemed to be taking her time in finding the proper future husband, which was the sensible thing to do.

Unfortunately, it appeared as if Demetria's sensible nature grew too much for her to handle.

"Demetria, dearest angel. What on earth could be the matter? I have never seen you cry this way. Please. Talk to me." Demetria shook her head frantically as tears streamed down her face, but she spoke anyway, and what she said. . . or rather, asked. . . was absurd and heart-wrenching at the same time.

"Mary, am I…ugly? Do I look as hideous as those girls were saying I look?"

I wanted to slap each one of these girls. . . whomever they were. . . for mocking Demetria so terribly. I sensed Matthew standing in the doorway, and I looked over to him, only to notice how angry he looked. He must have been standing there for several minutes already and had heard what Demetria had said, and he opened his mouth to speak, but I quickly shooed him away. I knew that Demetria would not speak to me if he were in the room, as she did not feel comfortable around him yet. Matthew and I had already been married for a few months, but a few months was not long enough for Demetria to consider him as part of the family. It was a troubling fact, but we all knew she would accept him in her own time.

When I knew that Matthew was gone, I softly moved Demetria's hair so I could see her beautiful, brown eyes and said, "Who has been speaking of you in this way? You are nothing of the sort, silly girl. You are beautiful, and you should not let anyone tell you such lies."

"Well…they did not tell me I was ugly to my face. Lady Selena and Lady Taylor were speaking of me in this way while I was fetching myself a cup of tea. I had offered to make them tea as well, but they refused, and when I was just returning with my cup, I overheard them talking about me. They were laughing, saying I am ugly, overweight, and unattractive to young men my age. They knew I am greatly attracted to Mr. Joseph Jonas, whom you have met on numerous occasions…and…they said that he would never want a horrid-looking, 'slut' like me."

I did not have time to react before Demetria burst into tears, yet again. At the moment, I was mostly shocked that there was a man that she fancied, who was actually an upstanding gentleman, and I knew for a fact that Mr. Jonas felt an attraction towards her as well. I would have pointed that out to Demetria if she were not in such a terrible state, so I decided to not tell her until she had calmed down.

To be continued...

**I have a quick question. How does one add new chapters to a story? I am not quite sure how to do it.**

**Also, I hope you found this interesting and are interested in reading more. I already have more of the story written.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I am not entirely sure if there is anyone who read the first chapter and liked it, but I hope there is at least one person who liked the concept. I know it's odd, but I also believe that is a good thing, because that means I'm being true to myself, as I am an odd person. XD**

**I honestly don't know how long this story will be, but I'm sure it won't be more than ten chapters/episodes. I've never been comfortable with writing incredibly long stories.**

Episode 2

"I did not tell her…but I will. At the appropriate time."

"But, darling…don't you think telling her about Mr. Jonas's affections would have stopped her tears? I mean, such news would certainly lift her spirits." I shook my head as I flipped through the daily newspaper. The breakfast cake on my plate was untouched, as it had an unappetizing stench, which would force me to vomit at any moment.

I knew why I was in such a state of discomfort, as it had been this way for endless weeks, yet I did not have the courage to inform Matthew about why I had not been eating properly for such a long period of time. He had definitely noticed my lack of enthusiasm for food, but he had wisely kept silence because he knew I would not tell him about my pregnancy until I was ready. I was not entirely sure if he suspected a pregnancy or not, but I knew he would not have kept silent if he knew that there was a baby boy or girl growing inside of me. He wanted a child, but I was scared that. . . when the time came for the baby to enter the world. . . I would not fulfill my duties as a mother. Would I even love our child? There was no way for me to be sure. Only Matthew's comforting and loving words would convince me, but he would only speak those words after I confided in him.

I needed to keep our topics of discussion as far away from my pregnancy as possible.

"She would not have believed me, Matthew. Not at the time. Those girls who had spoken about her affected her deeply, and my words would not have been enough. Such a confession would need to be spoken from Mr. Jonas's lips alone, which is why I have devised a plan to make sure that Demetria and Mr. Jonas meet and confess. The best way to accomplish this is to arrange a ball in Demetria's honor and to make absolutely sure that Mr. Jonas is invited. A dance is the surest way to make something…happen between the two of them." I noticed a slight smirk appear upon Matthew's lips, which gave me the impression that he was no longer thinking about Demetria, but me instead, and while I was positively flattered, I ignored him and took a bite out of my breakfast to avoid any flirtation. The piece of cake was revolting as I chewed it, but I managed to swallow it. Meanwhile, Matthew was steadily walking towards me, and my artificial nonchalance was breaking apart.

"Aaah. So you believe that a dance such as the one you and I participated in will bring Lady Demetria and Mr. Jonas together as easily as one, two, three? As…easily as it brought US together? May I remind you, Mary, that the lady and the chap are not…us? They are very different. For one…Demetria is demure, while YOU are devilish. Mr. Jonas is suave, while I…"

Matthew haughtily and smoothly leaned down to my level and planted a few lingering kisses on my cheek and neck, causing me to blush a deep red, for I had never before witnessed him acting so boldly on his desires. I let out a soft sigh as I kept the tender kisses in my mind, even after he had pulled away.

"…am sordid." I threw my head back and let out a mocking laugh at Matthew's choice of words.

"YOU?! Sordid?! Stop being ridiculous, Matthew! Dearest, you are NOT sordid! You are more suave than you apparently want to be! Of coarse, I will not disagree with you that I am devilish, but I married a GENTLEMAN, my darling. You cannot argue. Do not even try." Matthew let out a huff of disappointment, but I quickly consoled him with a kiss, and he did not object to the feeling of my lips on his. However, he soon pulled away when he noticed how suddenly weak I had become. He gave me his classic, over-protective expression, but I just shook my head, unwilling to say anything. I knew I would have to tell him eventually, but I did not know when would be an appropriate time. All I did was push my breakfast as far away as possible before standing upright and kissing him tenderly on his head. I knew what I needed to say, and I said it with as much effort as I could muster.

"I love you, Matthew."

"I know you do. You don't have to say it for me when I already know."

He knew me so well.

As soon as Matthew stood up, Anna came in to clear my dishes away. She gave me a knowing smile, as I had already told her of the wonderful news. She was one of the only people, apart from Matthew, that I deeply trusted, and so I quickly turned to her to explain the fabulous idea I had in mind.

"Anna?"

"Yes, mi'lady?"

"Could I trouble you to inform Mrs. Hughes that the Crawley family will be holding a ball this weekend for Lady Demetria Crawley?"

"Of coarse, mi'lady." She left with a nod, and I pulled Matthew into a loving embrace before he and I left the dining room to inform the rest of my family about the ball.

_Demetria's Point of View_

I was riding my little horse through the green pastures of my father's grand estate, trying desperately to be rid of all of the horrendous voices streaming through my mind. I used to believe that Lady Selena and Lady Taylor truly cared for me, but I was proven entirely wrong when I overhead their conversation, which revolved all around my existing flaws. Mary had tried convincing me that they were simply jealous of me, but I could not bring myself to believe that. All I knew was that I no longer hand the friends I thought I had. Their voices were the strongest and the most relentless, and riding my sweet Angel was not relinquishing my stress. In fact, the stress was becoming worse. I pulled on the reins, bringing Angel to a harsh halt and causing her to let out a frustrated squeal. I gasped when I realized how roughly I had stopped her canter, so I quickly plopped myself back onto the green earth and soothingly stroked her neck.

"I am so sorry, Angel. I should have paid attention to what I was doing, but my head has been clouded with so many things recently. I hope you can forgive me. I would never intentionally hurt you." Angel shook her head and snorted. I could tell she had forgiven me, but I could also see that she was irritated with me. Her ears were pinned back and her nostrils were flaring, so I led her to a fenced field where she could graze on the lush grass. She deserved it after how foolish I had been. Of coarse I was foolish. Any young lady who believed that she truthfully meant something to people was foolish. I figured that I just needed to accept the fact that Joseph, who was one of my dearest friends, would never want someone like me as his wife.

I was the child of my family. Everyone defended and doted after me as if I were a glass figurine standing atop the fireplace, and while I appreciated their love and concern, I needed my space and freedom every once in a while, which was why I batted my long eyelashes and begged my Papa to purchase darling Angel from the horse fair. Riding and caring for Angel gave me a purpose in life, and that purpose was something I would never throw away.

As I was sat on the fence. . . thinking these things. . . I noticed something moving in the distance.

It all happened so suddenly, though. One minute, I was observing the scenery to my heart's content, and the next minute, I noticed a masculine figure trudging through the fields towards the abbey. I squinted my eyes to see whom it was that was limping down the lane, and I gasped in shock when I realized it was Joseph! After hopping down from the fence, I rushed over to him and grabbed his arm, causing him to jump in utter shock. He stiffened, but relaxed after he had seen it was me who latched onto him. His eyes were speaking to me, but I was not sure of what they were saying. I DID notice, however, that he had a black eye. After fully inspecting him, I realized how damaged he truly was.

"Joseph! What in heaven's name happened to you?! And why are you here, when you should be in a hospital? No! That hardly matters right now. Come inside, and I shall call Doctor Clarkson after you have been settled into something comfortable. Oh, dear. I hope nothing is broken!" Joseph stumbled, and I squeaked in shock as I held onto his heavy form. He was much bigger than I was, so it was slightly difficult for me to keep a hold of him, but it was not impossible either. I heard him let out an awkward chuckle as we neared the front doors.

"Lady Demetria, I do not wish to trouble you in any way. I promise I am perfectly fine climbing these stairs on my own. The injuries are not that severe, so there is no need for you to worry…even though I very much appreciate your concern." His lovely words carried a mixture of seriousness and silliness in them, and I raised my eyebrow in a mixture of confusion and. . . well. . . concern, as he had so simply put. I was still incredibly confused as to what Joseph was doing at the abbey, but I held my tongue as he harshly knocked on the doors. I rolled my eyes in disbelief. I lived here. . . and I had the key, but I kept it hidden until he finally turned to me and said, "Do you have a key?"

"I though you would never ask. I DO live her, you know." I giggled and swiftly unlocked the doors with the key I had hidden in the top of my corset. The placement of the key WAS at my chest, and he had definitely noticed. He was trying his absolute hardest to hide his blushing cheeks, and I was trying my hardest not to let out another bashful giggle.

We were both too timid to understand each other or be around each other.

I led Joseph into the library, where I had recently been spending a great deal of time, and I sat him down on one of the elongated chairs where he could rest his aching muscles. At that very moment, Carson, our butler, came into the room and gave me a quizzical look. A questioning look.

"I trust you had a pleasant ride, Lady Demetria?"

"I did, Carson. Thank you. It's good you came in, actually. Could you please tell Mama and Papa that Mr. Joseph Jonas is here, and could you also call Doctor Clarkson to come as quickly as he can…if he can, of coarse?"

"Of coarse, Lady Demetria. That sounds like a good idea." He furrowed his bushy eyebrows together before shaking his head and leaving the room.

I could tell that I had already created a bigger commotion than I had intended to create.

**To be continued...**

**Now, Demetria and Joseph are friends, but they won't become a couple right away. Soon, but things need to happen first. ;)**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated. Only if you can. Thank you. 3**


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